Well centering and cementing device



1966 E. R. SEWARD ETAL 3,289,767

WELL GENTERING AND CEMENTING DEVICE Filed Nov. 5, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig Fig. 2

'4 f lpl l 1 1 42 I6 F dW/h R. Seward Sidney C. Myers INVENTORS Y ai /W,

WELL CENTERING AND GEMENTING DEVICE Filed Nov. 5, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 52 Edwin R Seward /a Sidney C. Myers 2' 1x 1 1N1 01 s BY QM 1/ (BMW Mfim I United States Patent 3,289,767 WELL CENTERIN G AND EEMENTING DEVICE Edwin It. Seward, New Grleans, La., and Sidney (J. Myers,

Laurel, Miss, assignors to B & W Incorporated, Torrance, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Nov. 3, 1961, Ser. No. 150,033 17 Claims. (Cl. 166-177) This invention relates to well devices, and more particularly to a device for centering a casing in an oil well and for diverting the flow of cement and other fluids between a well bore and well casing so as to prevent channeling of the fluids and causing more equal distribution of the fluids around the casing.

t is an object of the invention to provide a single, compact unit of relatively simple design for performing both of the above-mentioned functions.

It is another object of the invention to utilize a well casing centering device of the spring bow type for support ing fluid distribution deflector blades in such a manner that the blades are connected to and supported on the spring bows so that the deflectors move in and outwardly in a radial direction with the spring bows for more eflicient deflection of the fluid, and for using the resiliency of the spring bows as shock absorbing mountings for the deflectors.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a device having vanes for creating turbulence of fluids flowing around an oil well casing whereby the vanes or deflectors of the device are designed and so mounted so as not to substantially interfere with the free flow of fluids.

It i still another object of the invention to provide a device for reducing the cost of oil well construction due to the simplicity and economical cost of the device and the fact that the device saves time and labor since it performs dual functions that would normally require two eparate devices.

It is another object of the invention to provide a device for creating turbulent flow of fluid cement around oil well casings so as to provide a washing action to remove gell mud, bit cutting, and filter cake, thereby allowing cement to bond with the wall of the well bore.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a combination well casing centralizer and fluid deflector whereby the deflector is mounted inside of the centralizer so as to protect it from damage while entering the well bore thereby allowing it to be made larger with more surface than could otherwise be obtained.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a cross-sectional vertical view through a typical well bore showing a casing installed therein and the novel centering and fluid deflecting device mounted on the casing and centering it within the bore;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational View on an enlarged scale showing particular details of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2, but showing the two hinged sections of the invention in an open position;

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken substantially through FIGURE 2 on the plane of line t4;

FIGURE 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken substantially on the plane of line 5-'5 in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a central portion of FIGURE 2 showing a single deflector vane mounted between two adjacent spring bows;

FIGURE 7 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken substantially on the plane of line 7-7 in FIGURE 6; and

FIGURE 8 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken substantially on the plane of line ii-8 in FIGURE 6.

Referring to the drawings, it can be seen that our centering and fluid deflecting device 1% comprises two similar half sections 12. and 14.

Each half section comprises two semi-cylindrical sleeve members 16 and 18 that are spaced longitudinally or axially but are each concentric about the same axis. Each pair of sleeve members 16 and 18 are connected at their adjacent edge portions by longitudinally extending spring bow members 20. The ends of the bow members 20 are substantially parallel to the axis of the assembled centering device It), and are preferably composed of resilient metal and are secured to the sleeve members 16 and 18 by welds 22. The middle portions of the spring bow members are bowed or bulged radially outwardly as shown at 2- 1.

Each of the sleeve members 16 and 18 preferably have at least one arcuate recess 25 formed therein for retaining and receiving gripper members 28. As can be seen in FIGURES 2 and 5, the recesses 26 are enclosed by longitudinally extending upwardly bulged arcuate walls 39 and flat radially extending walls 32 which prevent circumferential movement of the gripper members. The gripper members 28 are retained within the recesses 26 by means of wire spring elements 34. The spring elements 34 are generally U-shaped and have legs 36 which extend circumferentially through bores in the wall portions 32 and through recesses formed between saw-like gripping teeth 38 on the gripper members 28. The gripper members 28 are generally triangular in shape.

As shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, the upper semi-cylindrical sleeve members 16 and 16' are notched at their axially extending edges so as to form tabs which are bent b aclr upon themselves to form cylindrical hinge members ill with recesses between the hinge members of substantially the same axial dimensions as are the hinge members and tabs whereby the hinge members of adjacent sleeve members 16, 16 may be interrneshed and pivotally connected together by axially extending pins d2 which have heads on each end to prevent axial movement of the pins relative to the semi-cylindrical sleeve members. However, one edge of each of the members 16 16 have coupling members 4d formed thereon which are substantially identical to the hinge members 40. Coupling members ill may be brought together and intermeshed in the same manner as the hinge members 40 whereby semi-cylindrical sleeve members may be releasably connected together by a removable pin 42'.

Each upper sleeve member 16 and 16' is connected to each lower member 18 and 18' preferably by three bow members 2%. As shown in FIGURE 4-, when two half sections 12 and 14 are assembled together, the bow members 20 are each separated an equal distance and preferably are degrees apart.

Mounted between each pair of adjacent bow members 20 is a fluid deflector vane 44. Each of the vanes 44 are substantially triangular in shape and have a generally vertically or axially extending edge 46 that is adjacent to and in alinement with an edge of the bow memher 2% to which it is secured. A small generally rectangular portion is notched or cut out from the upper corner of each vane 44 to form a generally circumferentially extending edge 48 and an upwardly extending edge 50. The edges 46 and 48 enclose partially a rectangular portion 52 which constitutes a securing flap that overlaps the inner surface of the bow member 20 to which it is secured by welds 54. The portions 52 are connected to the remainder of the vanes by radial flanges 53.

As shown in the right portion of FIGURE 2, the bottom of each vane 44 has a cylindrical flange 56 which is of the same diameter and coaxial with the cylinder defined by the central portion of the bows when they are rotated about their axis. The free end of portion 56 lies adjacent the flange 66 and directly behind and slightly spaced from one bow 20 as shown in the drawings. The upper portion of the vane between the bows 20 is bent inwardly along a circumferential line 58 so that this portion 60 between the bows forms an angle of 30 degrees more or less with the axis of the device it). The portion 60 also slopes radially inwardly towards the axis of the device from its point of attachment at the vertically extending edge of the bow to which it is attached. Also, the upper portion of each vane 44 is deflected or bent inwardly along a sloping line 62 which is substantially parallel to the upper edge 64 of the vane. Between the line 62, edge 64 and notched edge Stl is formed a generally rectangular flange 66. Thus the rectangular flange 66 and triangular portion 60 of each vane comprise deflecting surfaces which slope radially inwardly from the bows, in a circumferential direction and slope radially outwardly in a downward direction. Since the portion 66 is not connected directly to the supporting bow members, but instead is connected to the portion 60 along the bend line 62, it is apparent that the portion 66 forms a cantilever. Since the vanes are composed preferably of steel, they have considerable resiliency or elasticity, and therefore the portion 66 may flex inwardly along the line 62 in relation to the portion 60. Also, the spring bows 20 resiliently support each entire vane.

In operation, the well centering and cementing device 10 is opened to the position shown in FIGURE 3 and then pivoted about its hinge pins 42 so as to enclose a Well pipe or casing section 68 and locked thereon by means of inserting the locking pin 42 through the mating coupling members 40. The teeth 38 bite into the outer surface of the casing member 68 for fixedly securing the device 10 thereto. The casing member 68 is then lowered into a well bore 70 in a conventional manner whereupon the central portions of the bows 20 resiliently engage the inner surface of the well bore '70 for centering the casing within the well. After the well casing has been lowered to the desired elevation, it may be desired to seal a portion of the casing within the bore 70. This is required by law in many jurisdictions.

The cement for sealing the casing is inserted at the top of the bore 70 in a conventional manner whereupon it falls by gravity downwardly in the annular space 72 between the bore 70 and the casing. If the liquid cement is allowed to fall freely, it has been found that it will channel and will not be evenly distributed on all sides of the casing. This is obviously undesirable and may deflect the casing 68 against one side of bore 76 within bore 70. This causes the liquid cement to move not only in a spiral direction around the casing for equal distribution thereof, but also causes the fluid cement to move radially outwardly for striking the surfaces of the bore 70 thereby providing a washing action to move gell mud, bit cuttings, filter cake and other miscellaneous foreign particles thereby causing the cement to bond more etficiently with the well walls 70. In FIGURE 1, an annular plug of cement is shown around a joint 78 between the two sections 68 and 74 of the casing 80. As shown in this figure, the device 10 has evenly and compactly distributed the cement 76 around the casing.

It is to be noted that the cantilevered portions 66 of the vanes have a greater effective area exposed to the falling fluids in the well bore and thereby is subject to considerable shock. However, due to its resilient and cantilevered connection to the portion 66, it may flex and give to absorb the shocks of impact with the fluid. Also, the entire vane being mounted on the spring members 20 causes the spring members to absorb additional shock to prevent damage to the vanes.

While the vanes 44 have been disclosed as being composed of resilient metal, it is apparent that other materials such as plastic or rubber may be used. Also, the vanes may be attached by methods other than welding such as rivets, screws, etc.

It is also apparent that the deflector vanes could be attached to a rigid member rather than a spring bow.

In the drilling and processing of deep oil wells, it is now the modern practice to cement the bottom of the well by pumping the well cement in liquid form down the casing of the well such as shown at 80 in FIGURE 1. When the liquid cement reaches the bottom of the casing, it then travels radially outwardly into the annular space between the casing and well bore and then travels upwardly within the annular space. When using this process for cementing a well, it is apparent that my novel centering and cementing device 10 must be inverted or rotated about a horizontal axis whereupon the end 16 will be down instead of up. When my device is mounted in this position, the upward flowing cement will strike the vanes 44 and be deflected upwardly and radially outwardly to prevent channeling of the cement, to wash foreign material from the well bore and to produce all the new and improved results explained above. It is particularly important that the cement be well distributed in the annular space between the well bore and the casing for preventing channeling of the cement, because if the cement is permitted to channel, it will not isolate the oil productive sands from undesirable water sands in the well. The use of my device insures that the cement is well distributed around the casing for isolating these sands from one another.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired. to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What we claim as new is as follows:

1. A device for centering a well casing in a well bore and for causing deflection of fluid flowing axially between the casing and. the wall of a well bore containing the casing, said device comprising:

(a) a plurality of vertically extending, laterally resilient elements disposed in side-by-side circumferentially spaced relation about a vertical axis,

(b) said elements having each an intermediate, outwardly bowed portion for resiliently engaging the wall of a well bore,

(c) a mounting means for securing said device to a well casing and upon which mounting means is anchored each of said. elements at a portion of the latter which is remote from its bowed portion whereby to secure said elements in encircling relation upon a casing,

((1) each element having an end portion movable axially relative to said anchored portion upon lateral deflection of said elements,

(e) fluid deflector means disposed in the space between said elements and a well casing to which said device is attached,

(f) and positioned closely adjacent said bowed portions and being mounted upon said device,

(g) said deflector means including a plate-like mem- 5.3 ber having edge portions resiliently and yieldably biased to a position extending substantially across the space between the elements and an associated casing,

(h) said member having a deflecting surface disposed obliquely to the casing axis and which is inclined to said vertical axis and adapted to divert the direction of flow of fluid, through the well bore from a straight axial flow into a relatively tortuous and nonrectilinear path of travel.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said mounting means includes a ring-like member adapted to embrace an associated well casing.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said mounting means includes a circular split clamp secured to said elements and adapted to releasably and constrictingly embrace an associated well casing.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said mounting means includes a pair of supports each secured to said elements on opposite sides of said outwardly bowed portions and each adapted for firm attachment to an associated well casing.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said mounting means includes a pair of supports disposed inwardly of said elements and on opposite sides of said outwardly bowed portions and each support being secured to said elements, said supports being each adapted for firm attachment to an associated well casing.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein one of said supports includes anchor means for rigidly and fixedly securing it to an associated Well casing while the other support is adapted to guidingly and slidingly embrace the associated well casing.

7. The combination of claim 1 wherein said mounting means includes a pair of split rings each disposed with said elements and securing the elements at one end there of, said rings being disposed on the opposite sides of said outwardly bowed portions.

8. The combination of claim 7 wherein one of said rings is adapted to guidingly and slidingly embrace and the other ring has anchor means for fixedly securing it to the associated well casing.

9. The combination of claim 1 wherein each element is a laterally bowed but longitudinally untwisted strap whose outer face is flat for smooth sliding and nonscraping engagement with a well bore.

10. The combination of claim 1 wherein said fluid deflector platelike members are each supported solely at one point thereof to facilitate resilient flexing thereof.

11. The combination of claim 1 wherein said fluid deflector plate-like member is fixedly mounted and supported solely at its radially outward portion by only one of said elements.

12. The combination of claim 11 wherein the mounting of said plate-like member upon the associated element is disposed within the circumferential extent of said elements at its place of support.

13. The combination of claim 1 wherein said fluid deflector plate-like member extends spirally both downwardly and radially inwardly of said elements.

14. The combination of claim 1 wherein said fluid deflector plate-like member extends spirally both downwardly and radially inwardly of said elements and is fixedly mounted and supported solely at its radially outward portion by only one of said elements.

15. The combination of claim 1 wherein said fluid deflector means includes a plurality of said plate-like members each extending circumferentially of said elements and each extending circumferentially across a pair 01' elements.

16. The combination of claim 15 including means fixedly mounting and supporting each plate-like member solely at its radially outward portion and by only one of said elements.

17. A device for centering a well casing in a well bore and for causing deflection of fluid flowing axially between the casing and the wall of a well bore containing the casing, said device comprising:

(a) a pair of axially spaced collars adapted to be mounted on said casing,

(b) a plurality of vertically extending, laterally resilient elements disposed in side-byside circumferenti'ally spaced relation about a vertical axis, and said elements being attached to said collars,

(c) said elements having each an intermediate, outwardly bowed portion for resiliently engaging the Wall of a well bore,

(d) fluid deflector means disposed in the space between said elements and a well casing to which said device is attached,

(e) and positioned closely adjacent said bowed portions and being mounted upon said device,

(f) said deflector means including a plate-like member having edge portions resiliently and yieldably biased to a position extending substantially across the space between the elements and an associated casing,

(g) said member having a deflecting surface disposed obliquely to the casing axis and which is inclined to said vertical axis and adapted to divert the direction of flow of fluid through the well bore from a straight axial flow into a relatively tortuous and non-rectilinear path of travel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,460,632 7/1923 Wigle et al 166-241 1,820,391 8/1931 Hartman.

2,228,648 1/1941 Welles 166241 2,228,649 1/1941 Welles 166-172 2,258,052 10/1941 Hall 166241 X 2,290,429 7/ 1942 Hartman et a1. l66-172 2,312,600 3/1943 Steps 166-172 2,515,149 7/1950 Willhoit 166241 2,602,512 7/ 1952 Baker 166--241 2,731,816 1/1956 Hall 166--173 X 2,797,756 7/1957 Hall 166-241 X 2,855,052 10/1958 Wright et a1 166172 X 2,886,111 5/1959 Hall 166-241 CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner.

BENJAMIN BENDETT, BENJAMIN HERSH,

Examiners.

C. D. JOHNSON, J. A. LEPPINK, Assistant Examiners. 

17. A DEVICE FOR CENTERING A WELL CASING IN A WELL BORE AND FOR CAUSING DEFLECTION OF FLUID FLOWING AXIALLY BETWEEN THE CASING AND THE WALL OF A WELL BORE CONTAINING THE CASING, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING: (A) A PAIR OF AXIALLY SPACED COLLARS ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED ON SAID CASING, (B) A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY EXTENDING, LATERALLY RESILIENT ELEMENTS DISPOSED IN SIDE-BY-SIDE CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED RELATION ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS, AND SAID ELEMENT BEING ATTACHED TO SAID COLLARS, (C) SAID ELEMENTS HAVING EACH AN INTERMEDIATE, OUTWARDLY BOWED PORTION FOR RESILIENTLY ENGAGING THE WALL OF A WELL BORE, (D) FLUID DEFLECTOR MEANS DISPOSED IN THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID ELEMENTS AND A WELL CASING TO WHICH SAID DEVICE IS ATTACHED, (E) AND POSITIONED CLOSELY ADJACENT SAID BOWED PORTIONS AND BEING MOUNTED UPON SAID DEVICE, (F) SAID DEFLECTOR MEANS INCLUDING A PLATE-LIKE MEMBER HAVING EDGE PORTIONS RESILIENTLY AND YIELDABLY BIASED TO POSITION EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY ACROSS THE SPACE BETWEEN THE ELEMENTS AND AN ASSOCIATED CASING, (G) SAID MEMBER HAVING A DEFLECTING SURFACE DISPOSED OBLIQUELY TO THE CASING AXIS AND WHICH IS INCLINED TO SAID VERTICAL AXIS AND ADAPTED TO DIVERT THE DIRECTION OF FLOW OF FLUID THROUGH THE WALL BORE FROM A STRAIGHT AXIAL FLOW INTO A RELATIVELY TORTUOUS AND NON-RECTILINEAR PATH OF TRAVEL. 